I was just curious how many of our forum members and who fishes for Carp here? I recently started targeting carp but have had very little luck in catching them. They are very difficult to catch.

With how big they get it seems that they never stop eating but what exactly do they eat? It is very rare that I can ever get them to take a streamer, nymph or whatever even when I put it right in front of their face.

I like to find out which direction they are moving, put it five or six feet ahead of them, wait for them to get within about 2-3 feet and give it a twitch. I usually use sparse streamers with a brass cone head. Sinks right where you put it and gives them something they can see when you twitch it. The toughest part is not spooking them with the cast, which is why I don't put it right on top of them. This is what I do for lakes. In streams I just drift a woolybugger past them within a few feet standing downstream at about a 45 degree angle. Results may be different on different bodies of water, but I usually catch a few if they are around using these techniques. I read a lot about nymphing for them with small flies, but my streamers are usually size 2-6 and seem to work pretty well. I use 4 feet of 8-10 pound tippet with about 5-6 of 15 lb leader.

Use bait to start with and catch a few. Teach yourself that they arent unbeatable and learn their movements, where to cast etc. Once you know how they respond to presentation, then its just about moving on to flies. That is how I started. I fish like 15' leaders ending in 4x most of the time.

Not quite sure about this guy... perhaps a goldfish flushed down someones toilet that made it to the local river? This guy took some time to land and at a couple points I was horsing him and thought I might break my 4 weight. This appears to be a carp but the color is throwing me off... can anyone confirm for sure that this is a carp?

Sasquatch, it's not a chub! I don't know why everyone including myself until very recently thinks Carp are gross. Most Europeans and many Americans outside of Pennsylvania view them as a great sport fish. Apparently some sources claim that British fly fisherman target them just as much if not more than trout. I am just trying to free my mind a little bit maaaaan, lol.

NickR wrote: This appears to be a carp but the color is throwing me off... can anyone confirm for sure that this is a carp?

Looks like it may be an albino? I've never gone fishing specifically for carp but have caught a few on the fly rod especially on the Tulpehocken. Recently hooked a pretty big one on the Conestoga that I stalked and cast to. Could see him pick up the fly. After a couple of long runs he got off. They are loads of fun to catch. Boyer's tactics are similar to what I've done although I have taken some on dries on the Tully.

Posted on: 2012/9/5 13:13

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"You might be a big fish, in a little pond. Doesn't mean you've won, cause a long may come, a bigger one."

Use backstabber flies or any other crayfish pattern. I like them tied on size 6 mustad hooks. Work them slowly and do as Boyer said. Key is to not spook them with the cast.

Last year I was successful with a floating line and 9' leader, but this year I switched to using a full sink line and I think this has hindered my success rate. Just a theory though. I think they can see the line as it sinks.

@MattBoyer- that is almost the exact same wording my cousin used to help me land my first carp! ive only been out on three occasions, and caught them both on chartreuse wooly buggers, about size 6 in that way, missed one on a crawfish imitation.

CLSports wrote:Last year I was successful with a floating line and 9' leader, but this year I switched to using a full sink line and I think this has hindered my success rate. Just a theory though. I think they can see the line as it sinks.

Interesting. My catch rates are way down this year as well after switching to full sink. Here I thought I was starting to lose my touch. Good to know I may still have game.

I played one huge carp last Sat on the Shenango river below the dam. It took a green weenie on my 4 wt 8' 5x. I fought it for about 20 min and was kind of relieved when it broke off for I didn't want to deal with that mouth.

Nick,Carp fishing can be very tricky. In Montana we did alot of sight fishing for them in the Bighorn Resevoir. I found that I did best with heavy weighted nymphs that sunk pretty fast. Get them in front of the carp about 4-6 feet and wait. Also did well with small glow bugs. You have to be fast too, because they spit them out very fast....